Rope hitch

ABSTRACT

A unitary hitch ( 1 ) comprises an elongated shank ( 2 ) having front ( 3 ), rear ( 4 ) and side ( 5 ) faces, a pair of hooks ( 6 ) at one end of the shank ( 2 ) and a closed eyelet ( 7 ) at the other end of the shank ( 2 ), wherein the hooks ( 6 ) extend from opposite side faces ( 5 ) of the shank ( 2 ) and the hooks ( 6 ) are coplanar with the eyelet ( 7 ). A method of using the rope hitch ( 1 ) is also described.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to rope tensioners and hitches of the typewhich can be used to tie down, support or anchor loads.

BACKGROUND ART

There are many currently available rope tensioning devices and hitchesfor tensioning ropes, load support and for hauling a range fromelaborate lever type devices to more simply constructed tensioners.

Such devices are commonly used in transportation's and yachting fieldsand the cost of these products varies.

Whilst most trade and transport industry workers are able to competentlysecure loads using devices and secure knotting techniques the generalpublic's ability to tie an adequate knot for the purpose of securing andtensioning ropes and loads is often somewhat limited.

This can lead to potentially dangerous on road situations as in busytraffic if a load or part of load is lost there is a high risk of anaccident occurring.

Lives have been lost when people have taken action to avoid lost loadsresulting in deaths.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,709 describes a device to assist manual tighteningof a rope passed over a load on a vehicle.

The device is first attached too the rope by passing the rope from theupper side of the device through guide to the lower side, then passingthe rope up into the lower notch and over the upper side of the deviceand into the upper notch so that pulling the rope downwardly will securethe device to the rope.

Tensioning may then be achieved by forming a loop in a portion of thefree end of the rope, passing the loop around a fixed anchorage site onthe vehicle and locating a portion of the loop over the pair of arms.

The free end of rope is then passed behind and over the portion of ropeextending between the pair of arms and pulled downwardly, thereby urgingthe rope that extends between the pair of tensioning arms downwardly andcausing tension to be applied to the rope.

The taut rope is then secured by tying the free end thereof to a fixedanchorage site.

The device and in particular the method of tying described is somewhatcomplicated and as such unlikely to appeal to the inexperienced whowould prefer a more simple methodologies.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rope hitch whichis simple to use, which can be used for tensioning a rope, supporting orhauling a load and which relieves the pressures on tie down points.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of exampleonly.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to the broadest aspect of the present invention there isprovided a rope hitch comprising an elongate shank, a hook at one end ofthe shank and a closed eyelet at the other end of the shank.

The hook can be orientated to accept a pass of a rope in a first planeand the eyelet is adapted to accept a pass of a rope in a second planeat ninety degrees to the first plane.

According to the present invention, there is provided, a unitary ropehitch comprising an elongate shank, having front, rear and side faces, apair of hooks at one end of the shank and a closed eyelet at the otherend of the shank, characterised in that the hooks extend from oppositeside faces of the shank and in that the hooks are co-planar with theeyelet.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provideda method of tensioning and securing a rope using a rope hitch asaforesaid comprising the steps of making a first pass of a free end of arope through the eyelet of the hitch, wrapping the rope around the shankof the hitch proximate to the eyelet making a second pass of the ropethrough the eyelet so that the second pass of the rope overlies thefirst pass and tensioning the rope and securing the rope with respect toa remote tie down point.

The method may include the further steps of returning the free end ofthe rope from the remote tie down point, making a first pass of the ropeover one of the opposed hooks, returning the rope to the remote tie downpoint, making a second pass of the rope over a second of the opposedhooks, returning the rope to the remote tie down point and securing therope at the tie down point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a side view of a rope hitch according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, and

FIGS. 2 and 2 a are side and end views of a rope hitch according to afurther aspect of the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is a side view of a rope hitch according to a still furtheraspect of the present invention, and

FIG. 4 showing the use of the rope hitch of FIG. 1 used to tie down aload with respect to a remote fixture point, and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a vehicle carrying a load indicating thepreferred positioning of the rope hitches in relation to a load and tieclaim point.

With respect to FIG. 1 of the drawings according to one aspect of thepresent invention there is provided a rope hitch generally indicated byarrow 1 comprising an elongate shank 2 having front and rear faces 3,4side faces 5 and a pair of hooks 6 at one end of the shank 2 whichextend from the side faces 5.

A closed eyelet 7 is provided at the other end of the shank 2.

The hooks 6 are co-planar with the eyelet.

The longitudinal axis of channels 8 of the hooks 6 are parallel with theaxis of the eyelet 7.

FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate other possible forms of hitchaccording to the present invention both of which have an elongate shank2 and a closed eyelet 7.

In the FIG. 2 embodiment the hitch has a single hook 6 and a channel 9created by the hook has a longitudinal axis which is at ninety degreesto the axis of the eyelet 7.

In the FIG. 3 embodiment the end of the shank 2 opposite the eyelet 7 isprovided a cord attachment 10.

FIG. 4 of the drawings in configuration with the previous figuresillustrates the manner in which the hook 1 is used to tension and securea rope.

To tension and secure a rope 11 a first pass of a free end of rope ismade through the eyelet 7 of the hitch.

The rope is then wrapped around the shank of the hitch proximate to theeyelet 7 and a second pass of the rope through the eyelet is made sothat the second pass overlies the first pass.

The free end of the rope is then attached to a remote tie down point 12,and returned making a first pass over one of the opposed hooks,returning the rope to the remote tie down point, making a second pass ofthe rope over a second of the opposed hooks 6 and returning the rope tothe remote tie down point where the rope is tied.

Similar techniques are used to secure the rope to the eyelets of theFIGS. 2 and 3 embodiments with the overlapping of the rope at the eyeletproviding a braking affect.

In the case of the FIG. 2 embodiment a single pass is made over the solehook 6 thereof.

FIG. 5 of the drawings illustrates the preferred positions of thehitches 1 relative to a load and a tie down point 12.

To increase the security of location of a rope in any tie down situationthe ends 6 a of the hooks 6 may be enlarged as indicated in brokenoutline in FIG. 1 to narrow the passage into the channels 8.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of exampleonly and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions theretomay be made without departing from the scope thereof, as defined in theappended claims.

1. A unitary rope hitch comprising an elongate shank, having front, rearand side faces, a pair of hooks at one end of the shank and a closedeyelet at the other end of the shank, characterised in that the hooksextend from opposite side faces of the shank and in that the hooks areco-planar with the eyelet.
 2. A method of tensioning and securing a ropeusing a rope hitch as claimed in claim 1 comprising the steps of makinga first pass of a free end of a rope through the eyelet of the hitch,wrapping the rope around the shank of the hitch in a proximate positionto the eyelet making a second pass of the rope through the eyelet sothat the second pass of the rope overlies the first pass and tensioningthe rope and securing the rope with respect to a remote tie down point.3. A method of tensioning and securing a rope as claimed in claim 2including the steps of returning the free end of the rope from theremote tie down point, making a first pass of the rope over one of theopposed hooks, returning the rope to the remote tie down point, making asecond pass of the rope over a second of the opposed hooks, returningthe rope to the remote tie down point and securing the rope at the tiedown point.